Here TrOuBLe Comes
It’s the mother-daughter misadventure of the century for GoLdiE Hawn and amY SchuMer in Snatched
Plus SUNDAY WITH Transparent ’s Jeffrey Tambor,
Actor Jeffrey Tambor, long known for memorable small-screen roles (The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested
Development) was catapulted to the top of the acting heap with his Emmy- and Golden Globe–winning portrayal of transgender Maura Pfefferman in Amazon’s groundbreaking series Transparent (season four airs this fall). Tambor, 72, is also an author. His memoir, Are
You Anybody?, hits bookstores (including his own shop, Skylight Books in Los Angeles) on May 16.
What’s a typical Sunday like
for you? I have four kids at home: Gabriel Kasper, 12; Eve Julia, 10; Hugo Bernard and Eli Nicholas, both 7. [Daughter Molly, 41, is from a previous relationship.] On Sunday, Daddy gives Mommy Kasia a break. I get up and cook for my kids, who really like my scrambled eggs. Or we make pancakes and the requisite bacon.The kids either play or watch cartoons and Daddy gets to read the New
York Times and do his puzzle. What was a childhood Sunday like? I went to [Hebrew] school on Sundays. The Tambors were conservative Jews and we attended Temple Beth Shalom at 14th Avenue and Clement Street in San Francisco. We were the only Jewish family for miles. To me, being Jewish meant “otherness.”
You write that your childhood was painful. Was the “otherness” part of that? All families have a story. I thought, when I tell my story [that my mother was an alcoholic and I never felt like I fit in], people will go, “Oh, I can relate to that. We have something like that in our family.” In your book, you share a 2015 letter where you define yourself as—in this order—actor, husband, daddy, grandparent, lecturer and bookstore owner. One thing you said you were not: a writer. What changed? I give a speech at some colleges and corporations called “Performing Your Life: An Evening with Jeffrey Tambor.” I get asked a lot of questions and people say, “Your stories are wonderful. You should write a book.” They talked me into it. Also, this is for my children. I wanted them to see what Daddy does.
In your book you talk a lot about people who encouraged you—gave you “attaboys,” as you call them—in your life and
career. Why? “Attaboys” help people. I am huge on attaboy. Confidence is the great ingredient to living and art, with fidelity to self. It’s so important to surround yourself with people who give you confidence.
What are you reading? I’m known for having a Kindle edition and a “regular book” at the same time. I’m reading
Lincoln in the Bardo, a novel by George Saunders. It is a masterpiece. I voiced the part of Professor Edmund Bloomer on the audiobook.
In the past, you’ve said it’s difficult to watch yourself onscreen. How about now? I’m better at it, but not great. I come from theater, and in the theater once you say it, it’s gone. So why look at it? Critics and fans of the show have been raving about your portrayal of Maura in Transparent. When did you know you’d nailed the character? [Laughs] You don’t nail Maura’s character. Maura is ever evolving, ever changing and ever learning, and that’s why I love playing her. She is truly my greatest teacher.
How will Maura be different in
season four? She is seeking comfort, friends, her community and love with fervency. Is there one thing in life you’d like to undo? No, and I’ll tell
you why. All merits and all mistakes produce all the colors on your palette, and the interesting thing about acting or any art is that the mistakes are as valuable as the merits. So I’ve gotten great lessons from errors in my life. You have to make mistakes. What inspired the title of your book? I was doing [the play] Sly Fox on Broadway back in 1976. Every night, an autograph-seeking fan stood outside the stage door and asked “Are you anybody?” as I walked past. So, are you anybody—or somebody—now? I don’t know, but I’m enjoying my life. Years ago, my friend James Barton Hill read my palm when we were students at Wayne State University, and he said, “Things will happen for you—but it’s going to be very, very late.” He was right. I just didn’t know how late it was going to be.